Computing-scale.



T. C. PROUTY.

COMPUTING SCALE. I APPLICATION FILED DEO.24, 1908. 978,204. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5% I (fil T. C. PROUTY. COMPUTING SCALE. APPLICATION FILED DB0. 24. 1908.

978,204. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

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y COMPUTING SCALE. APPLICATION FILED M1124, 190s.

978,204. Patented Dec. 13,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

nnrTEn sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

TI-IEODORE C. PRO'UTY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS,

, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS ASSIG-NOR TS "WILCIS IVIA'NUEATURING COMPUTING-SCALE.

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Application filed December 24, 1998.

To all whom t may; concer/1t:

Be it known that l, rllrinononn C. PROUTY, a citizen ci' the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State ot Illinois, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in (lompating-Scales, of which the l'ollowing is a specification, reiferenco being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in computing scales. rrs such scales are now made the placing of the article to be weighed on the scale plat. orm instantly sets in operation the indicating and computing apparatus and inasmuch as such articles are frcquently placed on the scale with more or less violence the mechanism of the machine is jarred and worn and the accuracy ot' the device is apt to be impaired.

The leading object of my invention is to so construct a device ot the character specicd that the shoclr incident to placing an article on the scale cannot be transmitted to the indicating mechanism proper nor to the portion of the mechanism that directly acts thereon, but will prevent such latter portion oi the mechanism from performing its function oit moving the drum on which the weighlt figures are marked until. after the el'liect of such shock or jar has been received and al sorbcd by other parts after which the said tigured. drum will be quickly and easily moved. to the correct position to indicate the weight of' the article.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for insuring the easy movement oi the part attached to and dependii'ig from the scale-platform and at thc saine time insuring it being moved absolutely vertically at all times.

These objects I accomplish as illustrated in the drawings and he einafter specifically described.

ln the drawings,-ll`igure 1 is a vertical central section through my improved scale; l? 2 is a similar view taken at ri 0'ht angles to the section on which Fig. l is taken; Fig. 3 is a cross-section'taken on line 3-3 ot' Fig. 2; Fig. le is an enlarged detail, being` a crosssectional view through `the operating plunger and the shell in which the plunger moves, showing the anti-friction balls between said parts and the ways in which such balls move; Fig. 5 is a detail, being a vertical section at line 5--5 of Fig. 4t; Fig. 6 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 469,161.

detail, being an inner face view ot a portion of the shell in which moves the operating plunger and showing one ot the runways carried by said shell and showing` also a portion of' one of the springs that bear against the anti-friction balls; Fig. is an inner :tace view of a portion of the operating plunger, illustrating` the formation ot the slots in which travel the pins on the ends et tlie device that engages and turns the spiral; F ig. S is a perspective view ot the above-inentioned spiral-engaging device; F ig. 9 is a detail, showing in vertical section a inediticat-ion in the means Jfor trictionally engaging the anti-friction balls; and F ig. 10 is a detail, being a view ot the spiral device and a portion ot the cylindrical rod upon which it is mounted and illustrating more clearly than in the other figures the sharp lower end oit the spiral device that insures such spiral device always being dropped to its lowermost position and in proper relation to the pin on said rod so as to insure the drum always being turned to starting or zero position.

In the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters, 10 indicates a base, to the edge ot' which is secured the lower portion of the conical casing that incloses the operating mechanism, such casing consisting, in the construction shown, of three principal parts,-nainely, a conical-shaped lower portion 1l, the lower edge of which is suitably secured to the edge of the base 10; a cylindrical portion 12 that is secured near its lower end in any suitable manner to the upper edge of the portion il; and a top piece or cap i3 that closes the upper end of' the cylindrical portion 12.

14 indicates a semi-cylindrical shell itting within the cylindrical portion l2 of the inclosing casing, to which it is secured in any suitable manner, as, for example, by one or more screws, one such screw being shown in ligure l and indicated by 15.

16 indicates two oppositely-located curved arms located within the shell lll, suoli arms being located opposite each other and each adjacent to the said shell le. rlhese two arms are to be rigidly connected together at their upper and lower ends in any suitable manner. In the construction shown theyT are connected together at their upper ends by a cap 17 and at their lower ends by two sepaone at the lower portion of each arm.

sirable in a device of this character.

rated strips 1S, as best seen in Fig. 3. The lowerI end cannot be completely closed as is the upper end because it is necessary to have pass in between the arms 1C certain operating devices hereinafter descr'ibed. The arms 1G working together' as one by reason of their connection at their ends, as stated, may be appropriately ter'rned a plunger. To this plunger at its upper end is connected through the medium of the cap 17 post 19 to the upper end of which is secured in any suitable manner a platform 2O adapted to receive such articles as are to be weighed on the scale. T he plunger' is normally7 held in its raised position through a coiled spring Q1 attached at one end to a bracket 22 which, in the construction shown, is t'ormed by suitably cutting the shell 14 to permit a portion oit such shell to be turned in between the two ar'ms 1G ot' the plunger' (see Figs. 1 and et) and the other end of the spring is attached to one ot the cross-strips 18 at the lower' end ot' the plunger, as clearly shown in Fig. l. yJilhe attachment of its lower end may be hy means ot' a screw and block, as there shown, or in any suitable manner. rlhe arms 16 ot the plunger lie a short distance from the inner' tace ot' the shell 14 and between each arm 1G and said shell I interpose anti-friction balls Q8, using in the construction shown tour of such balls, two opposite each arm 1G, one at the upper portion and I form separate runways for eaehtball, the same consisting or" V-shaped strips 2l inserted in slots cut in the shell 14 and V- shaped strips 25 opposite the strips 24 inserted in slots cut in the arms 16. The halls travel freely in these runways.

rlhe amount ot' movement of the plunger in either direction is regulated by thelengtlr ot' the slots into which the angular runways are set. By providing these runways the plunger is, of course, enabled to move with the least amount of friction, which is de- It is essential also, ot course, that the plunger move in an absolutely straight vertical line, and ordinarily it would require considerable care and attention to see that the plunger arms titted with the proper degree of exactness within the shell 1l so as to bear atl all times against said antidriction balls. Such litting would necessarily be expensive, and l avoid that expense and trouble by providing that the balls shall be at all times pressed equally toward and against the plunger arms. I accomplish this by providing a narrow flat strip 2G lying` in the outer runways 2l and being adapted to bear against the anti-friction balls. I provide two of these strips '26, making' a single strip long enough to extend from the upper part of one ot the upper runways to the lower part of the corre- These two oppositely-located strips il are connected by a light coiled spring 28, the ends of which pass through long irai'- row slots 2T in the plunger arms lo, 'lhe effect of this spring 2S to at all times keep the strips pressing against the anti-fr'icti-frn balls. and thus there is obviated any rattling ol2 parts that might otherwise occur. This construction insures a smooth, easy running oiLl the plunger, and insures its being always moved in an absolutely vertical direction, and. as beiore stated, obviates the labor and expense that would be attendant upon malting an absolute titl of said plunger within its shell. 2li indicates a cylindrical rod havingnj a bearingl point 30 at its lower end (see 2), which is journaled in the upper end ot a suitable bearing 31. projecting centrally above the base lll. This rod projects between the strips 1S that connect the lower ends of the arms 16 of the plunger and is provided at its upper' end with a pin 232 that is journaled in the end ot a curved arm il?) that is rigidly secured to Vthe shell 1l and projects between the two arms 'lo ot' the plunger. as clearly shown in Fig. 3. On this smooth cylindrical red 20 is loosely placed a spiral 3st, The spiral is, as stated. loosely placed on the r'od 29 and is tree to be pulled up thereon by the means hereinafter described at the time that the platt'orm and attached plunger are moved up suddenly when the load on the plattform is taken ott). The lower end of the spiral. however. is provided with two sharply-inclined faces sol that when it is allowed to move down on the rod after being` pulled up it will always come to its lower-most position notwithstandingl the presence ot a pin that projects from one side of the rod 2i) near its lower' end, as shown in Fig` 2. Ot course, if the lower end ot' the spiral was squared the pin would actI to hold the spiral entirely above it, but by reason orc the sharp incline given to the lower end ot the spiral the spiral is bound to dr'op and its sharplyinclined edge will engage said pin when the spiral itself rotated, as hereinafter described, and through such engagement will rotate the rod 29.

3G is an arm having at its ripper' end two curved branches 87, each provided with a short stud or pin 38. and at its lower' end provided with a weight-portion 39 of a size and shape adapted to engage the spiral of the part 34 on the rod Q9. This arm 9,6 is rnovably connected to the plunger' by having its studs or pins 38 projecting into the long slots 2? before mentioned. The sides of these slots at their' lower ends converge toward each other so that the studs or pins 3S when resting at the lower ends of such slots will rest exactly centrally thereof. l() indicates a light spider attached by its hub stationary.

portion 41 in any suitable manner to the cylindrical rod 29 at the lower` end of such rod so that when the rod is rotated the spider will, of course, rotate with it. This spider has suitably attached at its edges a drum l2 which, in the construction shown, is conical ,in shape to correspond to the shape ot the portion l1 of the casing. This drum lies close to the inner face otl the portion 1l ot the casing and is intended to have suitable numbers on its outer face which will be visible through a sight-opening a3 in the said portion 1l ot' the casing, Along one edge of. the sight-opening will. be provided numbers indicating pounds. I have not deemed it necessary to show numbers on either the portion 11 of the casing or on the drum 4Q. The proper arrangement and location of such numbers will be understood by those skilled in the art.

lVith the parts in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the operation will be as tollows The article to be weighed will be placed on the platform Q0 and will, ot course, at once force down such platform and with it the plunger, and it the article is placed on the platt'orm suddenly, as is generally the case, the plunger and the plattorm will vibrate slightly for a second or two, as is customary, and will then remain This sudden downward movenient oit the plunger will not, however, have the eitect ot' causing a turning ot the rod 29, and therefore cannot, of course, cause a turning ol the numbered drum 4Q, which, being tast to such rod, only turns when the rod turns, and this is :for the reason that the sudden downward movement ot' the plunger does not operate to press down the arm 36 which through its weighted end 39 that fits .in the groove of the spiral device is the only part that does effect the turning of said rod, but, on the contrary, such sudden downward movement of the plunger simply causes the studs or pins 38 to be brought to a higher position in the long slots 27 in the arms of said plunger. This, of course, leaves the arm entirely unsupported and it then drops by its own weight, during which time its lower weighted end 39 is moving in the spiral groove and causing av turning ot such spiral, and this turning causing its inclined lower edge to bear against the projection 35 on the rod 29 which, of course, causes a turning of such rod and also the spider and drum 40W@ connected therewith. The extent of the turning of the spider and drum is, of course, depend-ent upon the extent to which the weighted end of the arm, B9, tavels downward in the spiral. Such downward movement of the arm will continue until its supporting studs or pins 38 are arrested by the closed lower ends of the slots QT into which they settle centrally owing to the peculiar shape of such lower ends, The arm 3G being weighted, it will always have a tendency to swing inward at such weighted end owing to the studs or pins 38 being located considerably to one side ot such weighted end, and this tendency ot the weighted end to swing in keeps it constantly in engagement with the spiral groove, and its weight is suilicicnt to keep turning the spiral device and attached parts until brought to rest by its studs or pins encountering the ends of the slots 27. The weight of the article placed on the platform, ot course, determines the extent to which the plunger shall descend, and the spiral is so made that it will always turn ust suliiciently to Iexpose the correct reading through the sight-opening in the casing and it cannot turn to expose any numbers beyond the proper numbers because the spiral and the weighted arm 36 are in engagement and the arm cannot move farther down in the spiral because it is held by its studs or pins in the ends of the slots.

Now, when the article to be weighed has been removed from the platform the coiled spring :2O will, ot course, act to very quickly or suddenly torce up the plunger and its attached platform, and this sudden movement being communicated directly to the weighted arm 3G, which is in engagement with the spiral, will draw suoli arm and the spiral. also upward. The weight ofthe spiral will then cause it to dropwturning, ot' course, as it is compelled to by reason of its engagement with the weighted end of the arm. In its descent one of its sharply, inclined edges will strike against the projecting pin 35 which acts to so turn the rod and attached drum as to insure the drum being brought to rest always in the saine position so as to always present through the sightopening in the casing the proper Zero mark to indicate to observers that the scale is in proper position .'t'or again weighing an article.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a slight modification in the means for exerting a constant pressure on the anti-friction balls Q3. ln the construction already described a long strip 26 is employed long enough to project into a. pair of upper and lower runways 2st. In the modified form shown in Fig. 9 I dispense with this strip and also dispense with the two runways Q4, and in lieu of such runways provide a single long runway Q4 inserted in an opening out longitudinally in the shell la and loose therein. This long runway 24 being` loose is capable of being moved in against the balls and it is held pressed in against the balls by the same light coiled springl Q8 employed in the other construction.

By my invention I provide a scale that is well adapted for weighing articles of little or great weight, and one in which all strain and shock, due to suddenly placing a heavy article upon the platform, is absolutely withheld from the revolving drum and its immediate actuating devices and insuring` that such actuating devices shall always be brought into operation promptly and etlectively, but so gently and easily as to insure but little wear on such parts and also insuring great accuracy under any and all circumstances.

Thatwhich l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,m

l. ln a scale, the combination with a rotatable indicating member and a rotatable and longitudinally-movable spiral connected therewith, ot a gravity-operating device for said spiral, a support tor articles to be weighed, and means operated by the depression ot said support for permitting said gravity-operating device to tall and rotate said spiral.

2. ln a scale, the combination with a plunger, a rotatable spiral and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating cnaracters thereon, ot a device loosely connected to said plunger, and adapted after the descent ot the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

3. ln a scale, the combination with a plunger, a rotatable spiral, and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating' characters thereon, ot a device loosely connected to said plunger and having its lower end normally held toward said spiral and adapted atter the descent ot' the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

l. In a scale, the combination with a plunger provided with a longitudinal slot, a rotatable spiral and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating characters thereon, of a device connected with said plunger and movable in the said slot therein, and adapted atter the descent otl the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

ln a scale, the combination with a plunger provided with a longitudinal slot, the walls ot which converge at the lower end ot the slot, a rotatable spiral, and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating characters thereon, of a device connected with said plunger and movable in the said slot therein and adapted after the descent ot the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral. p

G. ln a scale, the combination with a plunger provided with two longitudinal slots, a rotatable spiral and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating characters thereon. ot a device entering said slots and movable therein, said device being f adapted after the descent of the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

i. ln a `scale. the combination with a plun- `ger. a spring for holding said plunger normally in a raised position, a rotatable spiral,

and a member connected therewith adapted to have indicating chart etersI thereon, of a device loosely connected to said plunger and adapted after the descent ot' the plunger to move down and rotate the said spiral.

S. In a scale, the combination with a plunger, ot a vertical rod, a rotatable member connected with said rod adapted to have indicating characters thereon, a spiral on said rod and longitudinally movable thereof, means tor connecting said spiral and rod so that they will rotate together, and a device loosely connected to said plunger and adapted atter the descent ot the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

S). ln a scale, the combination with a plunger, ot' a vertical rod, a rotatable member connected with said rod adapted to have indicating characters thereon, a spiral on said rod and longitudinally movable thereof, said spiral having an inclined lower edge, a projection on said rod against which said inclined edge is adapted to bear, and a device loosely connected to said plunger and adapted after the descent ot the plunger to move down and rotate said spiral.

10. ln a scale. the combination with a movable indicating member and a verticallymovable spiral operatively engaged therewith when said spiral is in its lowered position, ot vertically-movable means adapted when moving` downward to engage and turn said spiral and when moved upward to raise said spiral temporaritv out oit operative engagement with said indicating member.

il. ln a scale, the combination with av supportl for articles to be weighed, a movable indicating member and a verticaily-movable spiral operatively engaged with said member when said spiral is in its lowered position. oi a gravitv-operating device loosel)v connected with said support, and adapted upon the downward movement ot' said support to engage and turn said spiral and when moved upward with said support to raise said spiral temporarily out ot' operative engagement with said indicating member.

l2. ln scale, the combination with a support tor articles to be weighed and a movable indicating member, ot a vertically-nim'- able spiral operativeljvv enga eing said indicating member when said spiral is in its lowered position, and means connected with said support tor causing a rotation of said spiral when .said support is moved downv-,f'ard and temporarily disengaging the spiral trom the indicating member when said support moves upward, said spiral being adapted to thereafter again operatively engage the indicating member and move it to its originalV position.

153. Tn a scale.l the combination with a support for articles to be weighed and a movable indicating member, of a vertically-movable spiral operatively engaging` said indicating member when Said Spiral is in its lowered position, and gravity-operateel nieane loosely Connected with Said support adapted to canse a rotation ot Said spiral when said supporty is moved tlownwartl and to temporarili7 tlisengage the .espiral from the indicating member when said support moves upward, .aaitl spiral being adapted to there after tleecentlL by gravity and again operatively engage the indicating n'ieinbei antl nieve it, to itsl original position.

laf. In a scale, the combination with a .shell antl a `\f*eitieallymovable phinger therein, of a vertical gnidewa)- in one of said parte, balle movable in said guitleway and adapted to project therefrom in Contact with the other of Said parte, and a spring pressed strli p in said gnicleway bearing against Said ba l5. ln a Scale. the Combination with a Shell and a vertically-movable plunger thereM in, of a vertical. gnicleway in Seid plunger, ballel movable in eaitl gnicteiifay, a strip opposite said gnitleway adapted to bear against Said balls, and a. spring attached to saitl Strip, said. plunger being Slotted. to permit the spring to project therethrough.

16. ln a scale, the combination with a .shell anal a` Vertically-inovable plunger therein.l ot Yer-tical gnitleways in saitl shell and plunger7 balls movable in said gniclewaye, a strip located in one of said, gaitleways` and adapte/(l to bear against said balle, and a Spring attached to said strip, ,said plunger being slotted to permit the Spring to proj ect.

l therethrough.

"HEQDORE C. PROUTY.

lVitnesses ALBERT H. ADAMS,

h/IINNIE A. HUNTER. 

